Stress-balanced splice bar



Nov. 1l, 1930.

BANCROFT G.

Patented Nov. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i BRAINE, `OIE* NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY,

`OF .NEW YORK, N, Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK h STRESS-Betreuerin srLrcE BAR Appucationrfued Aprn 11,

\ This invention relatesto splice bars for rail joints,`and has in view to provide certain desirable improvements in the distribution of the metal of such bars to the end of enabling an economical use of metal in pro-` ducing splice bars of requisite strength, especially adapted for connecting-rails which are high in the fishing space. i

More particularly, the invention has in view to amplify the principles underlying the distribution of the metal of splice bars in accordance with the teachings of my Reissue Patents Nos. 16,311 and 16,506, and the coordination of these principles to more than f a single axis.

A splice bar designed in accordance with the principles set forth in my prior patents mentioned may be balanced, or substantially balanced,as to the areas of certain Zones, and as to certain of its-physical properties and ratios of metal distribution above and below its horizontal gravity axis or a middle line which may be other than horizontal. In cross sectional shape, however, the head and base portions of a splice bar that is so balanced may dier widely from one another, and as a matter of fact, due to the crosssectional shape of a railway rail and the relative disposition of its fishing surfaces, most balanced splice bars heretofore produced have been of unsvmmetrical shape, some of them being inclusive of a foot fiangeextending outwardly beyond the edge of the rail flange, and the metal constituting the baseof others being disposed entirely inwardly ofthe edge of the rail flange.`

' Heretofore, in the instance of a barhaving a slotted `foot flange extending beyond the edge of the rail flange, it has been the custom,

` as in the case of 4my prior patents referred to,

to calculate the bar as a whole assuming that the maximum `strains did not come as far away from Vthe middle of the bar as the slots, whereas the present bar is calculated within the slots.

In instances where a splice bar is inclusive of a foot flange extending outwardly beyond the edge of the rail flange it has been the usual practice heretofore to provide spike slots at spaced points along the foot flange,

1930.` serial No. 443,538.

while on the other hand, in instances where all or substantially all of the metal constituting the base portion of a balanced splice bar is disposed inwardly of the edge of the rail flange, the foot flange of the bar usually has beenof considerable depth.

`Accordingly7 a particular object of the present invention is to so distribute the metal of a splice-bar of the foot flange type, that the bar will be balanced, or substantially balanced, as to the area of certain zones and as to its effective physical properties above and below its horizontal gravity axis or `middle line for that portion of the bar located inwardly of the spike slots, and which will beof greater strength or at least of equal strength where slotted, to the unslotted portions of a "bar of the'same type and of equal weight and area as heretofore produced.

Another particular objectof the invention is to effect, inthe case of a splice bar of the type including` a foot flange disposed inwardly of the edgeyofl the rail flange, a novel distribution ofthe metal thereof to maintain the bar balanced, or substantially balanced, as to the area of certain Zones and as to its effective physical properties above andbelow its horizontal gravity axis, and to preserve the strength thereof, and at the same time to afford a spiking rib of materially less depth than the standard foot flange of prior bars of this type to give greater penetration and holding power of the spikes.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art asthe nature of the present improvements are better understood, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of features as will be herein-` after more fully described,` illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined inthe appended claims. i

Inthe drawings, wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in relatedviewsz i Figure 1 is a sectional, perspective view of aportion of a rail joint illustrating `a splice bar of the type having afoot flange disposed inwardly of the edge` of the rail flange, and having a distribution of the metal thereof in accordance with the present inin Figi l, as compared with a splice bar oit the same type as heretofore produced.

Figure 3 is a cross-section of a rail joint illustrating a splice bar 'et type which l .is inclusive'of a foot flange extend1ngout` prior bar,v illustrated by the dotted linesll,

wardly beyond the edge ofthe rail'iiange` and which has a distribution et' Hmetal aecordancewith the presen-t invention; and

Figure l is a cross section of a rail joint illustrating an embodiment oft-he invention ink Which a barf of the type shown in either et Figs; l' or 3 i's-provided with lan integral baseforniation adapted to underlie thebase of the rail.

It is characteristic .eff each of the 'present splice bars that the portions thereof'clispfosed respectively above and below a. horizontal gravity axis vor, middle lineare balanced, or substantially balanced, as to their essential physicalpropertie's,and ratios of inet-al. dis tri'bntion, but, yas ,distinguished from prior spliceybars of the extended, spike-slotted the foot flange' of the present bar is stepped so as to terminate at its `bottomV in an outwardly directed, relatively j thin spiking rib 15, thereby to enablesubstantially full penetration and holdingpower of they spikes 16 as indicated in Fig. l. v y Y A y 'Y The metal constitutingthe spiking rib 15 may or'niay net enter into the calculations of i the presentrbar for area and physical properties, and in the latter instance said rib will constitute what may be termed anV additional Y foot-flange type, abar of that type constructed inaecorda'n'ce'withthe present invention l involves a distribution ot vmetal affording greater strength, where saine' is slottedtothe prior bar' at the slotted point. Further, Aas distinguished from afpriorusplice bar o-tlie typ-eiwhich is inclusive of a footflange` disposedinwardly ofthe edge of the rail 'l'ange a bar of that typeconstructed in accordance With the 'present' invention involves "adistribution kof metal possessed of at least equal strength to. a priorbar ofthesane weight and area and which atlords in addition a spiking rib oii a depth enabling substantially fullpenetration and holding power of the spikes; Y .v

For 'a better understand-ing of the invention reference first is inadetoFig. 2 ofL the drawings, wherein is illustrated, by vfull lines, a splice bar, vdesignated 'generally as Y ligure it will be observed that the present A, of the type having a toot flange disposed inwardly of the edge ofthe rail flange and constructed in accordance with the Vpresent invention, and, by dotted lines4` the essei'itial.

'difference in the distribution Yof the metal Vof apresent bar oi, this typt as compared ik with a priorA bar of the saine type, the dotted Vline bar being ea'lculatedi'or example inacu eordanee with the principles set forth in my prior patents. From the illustration in lthis splice bar is inclusive, as usual, of a head 1 10, a Webll and a base 12, and .that-the latter is inclusive oi an outwardly directed Vfoot flange 13 disposed, as shown in Fig. l, inu Wvrd'lygo-i the edgeoi the railflange.l It will further b'e noted, li`o\vevei.' thatas'E distin reinforcement or'tle foot iiange. ln either event, however, it is desirable; that the head Y and base' portions "of theV bar `Vdispos'ec'l lre spectively above and below the neutral hori-` zontal axis of theI bar and designated in Fig. Zas` @shallbe substantially balaneedfas to their physical properties or ratiosof metal distribution, particularly as regards the H10;

ment of'inertia,jthe static moment', and the` ylocation of the vcenter lines of ystressy and` the center of Sectionsy Moreoven'it; is desirable thatfthepresentV Y and thats-the saine shall approachV geoinetrical aswell asl analytical symmetry, to which end the head-l0 of thepresent ybaris formed to extend only-a relatively short dis taneeoutwardly beyond the-'outer face of the web 1l and a materially greater distance inwardly beyond the inner face of the web, thereby in vrelation to the particular shape of the base of the bar, topreserve an analyt-v ical balance or a su'bstantialbalance of the physical properties of theportions of the bar aboveand belowthe horizontal gravity axisvthereof, and inwardlyiand outwardly of a vertical neutral axis b, as well as to .preserve substantial. geometrical symmetry bef tween saidfvportions. In explanation of the expressionsl product of inertia and Apolar moment of inertiaatheseinay be defined re-V speetivelyas follows 1 1 .The producto-l.y in rtia of. a plane area with respect to two rectangular axes is the quantity ,of summation, vwhich is the sum of the products formed by multiplying'ieach elementary areasby its coordinates.

about any :gravityY axis and y the moment of inertia aboutan ax-is at yright-angles tothe and not -considering'A the'irig l5v which,

`gravity vof the respective Y The polar moment of inertia in any sec-.V tion 1s the sum of the momentV ofv inertia lll) ` rect dimensions and calculations for the effective physical properties thereof, as follows (disregarding the metal in the rib 15) y Prior bar (dotted Zines) Above axis Below axis Moment of inertia (I) 7 20 7.07 Stress balancing ratio 1,57 1.55 Staticmoment (S) 4.58 4.57 Centers of gravity ratios K 1.39 1.40 Area (A) 3.30 3.27 Y Y Product of inertia minus .91

Present bar (fall Zines)` Above axis Below axis Moment of inertia (I) 6.48 6.42

Stress balancing ratio (I 1.60 1.60` Static moment (S) 4 4.04 4.02 Centers of gravity ratios (5;)- 1 1.30 1.35

Area (A) 2.98"

. Product of inertia minus 1.355

Referring now to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be observedthatthe splice bar illustrated in this instance and designated gen erally as B is similarto the bar illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 with the exception that the spiking rib 15a extends outwardly beyond the edge of therailflange and is slotted for the reception of the spikes. As in thecase of the bar illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the metal of the rib 15il of this bar of the extended foot flange type shown in Fig. 3 may or may not be taken into `consideration in the calculations of the bar for physical properties. Also, as in the case of the first inentioned bar, it is evident that the bar of Fig. 3 is substantially geometrically symmetrical. Not considering the rib 15a, the calculations for physical properties of this latter bar are the sanie as given in respect to the bar illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the essential diiercnce between said bars being that the rib l5 of the bar first mentioned is disposed inwardly of the edge of the rail` flange, whereas the rib 15Z1 of the second mentioned bar extends outwardly beyond the thin spiking and reinforcing rib.

Now, by a comparison ofthe calculations of the present bar with the calculations of a prior bar of the same general type, it is evident that by the utilization of substantially an equal amount of metal in each instance, tliepresent bar is possessed of approximately the saine effective physical properties as the prior bar and at the same time is possessed of the extremely desirable and important feature ofanoutwardly extending, relatively thin spiking rib which enables substantially full penetration and holding power of the spikes. y 1

In -view ofthe foregoing it is manifest that therib 15 or 15a of either of the present bars,

whether same is or is not taken into consideration in the calculations ofthe respective bars, maybe extended without affecting the essential physical properties of the bars, and thus, as illustrated in Fig. 4, a present bar designated generally as C and of either of the types illustrated, is adapted to have the outwardly directed rib thereof extended in the form of a plate 18 to underlie the rail, thereby to reduce the strains on the iointbolts and to maintain the outer face of this joint bar in a vertical position. In this connection it will of course. be understood that if desired the section of this bar may be modified so that no bending strain could come in the much reduced section18.` i

"In each of the embodimentsof the invention herein illustrated it will be noted that the joint is inclusive of an abrasion plate 19 underlying the rail. The use of an abrasion plate, however, is optional.

1Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled `in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departingr from the spirit of the inventionand scope ofthe appended claims. l i

I claim i 1. A rail splice bar comprising asubstantially geometrically symmetrical major portion inclusive of a foot flange, and a rib forniing an outward extension of said foot flange and of materially less depth than the portion of thelatter included wit-hin the substantially geometrically symmetrical portion of the bar.

2.` A rail splice bar comprising a substantially geometrically symmetrical major por-- tion inclusive of a foot flange, lying entirely withinthe outer edge of the rail flange. and a rib forming an outward extension of said foot flange and of materially less depth thanthe portion of the latter included within the substantially geometrically symmetrical portion ofthe bar. y

3. A rail splice bar comprising a substantially analytically symmetrical major portion inclusive of a foot flange, and a rib forming an outward extension of said foot flange and of materially less depth thanjthe portion of the latter included Within the substantially analytically symmetrical portion or" the bar.

l. Aijail splice bar comprising a substantiallyv analytically syminetricalmaj or portion inclusive of afoot flange lying entirely-With in the outer edge of the rail flange,l and 'a rib forming an outward extension of said' foot flange and of.' inateri'ally -less depth-than the portion of the latter included Withinthe suhstantially. analytically symmetrical portion of the bar. Y

5. A rail splice har having a high moment of inertia anda vlow productof inertia value and inclusive of a foot' flange, and a rib of less depth than-said foot'flange forming an outward; extension of the latter.

6,V A rail-splice lying entirely Within the outer edgeof the rail flange and having a high momentofinertiaand a low product 'of inertia value and'inclusive of a foot flange, and a rib of less depth than said foot flange formingf'an outward extensionv of the latter.

' 7. A rail splice bar comprising a major portion having a high polar moment of inertia 1 and a low product of inertia value and 'inelusive of afootvflange, and a ril)y of less.

depth' than said foot flange forming an outr'Ward'eiitension ofthe latter. n 8. 'A railr splice bar having Va high polar moment of inertia and a loW product of inertia of less depth.H Y f Y 9. A rail splice harcomprising a suhistan `tially analytically symmetrical or portion inclusive foot flange, and a rib of materivalue and'inclusiveof a foot iangeand a rilo ally less depth than Asaid foot flange forming` an outward extension ofthe latten'said rih being extended t'o underlie the rail.

' of the bar sai 10. A rail splice Vhar comnrisingv a suhstantially analytically symmetrical major portion inclusive offa foot flange ly'ingentirely With in the outeredge of the'rail flange. and a rib, ofrm'aterially less depth th an said foot fia-nge forming an outward extension ofthe vpoirtion otjsaidf'foo't liangeinclu'ded Within'the subT stanti ally analytically symmetrical 'portion the rail.` p n n Y y V11.1 A rail splice lliar lcomprising armajor portion having a high moment of inertia and 4 a: low product ofi'nertia value andinclusive l of la foot flan ge, and a rib of niateiiallyiless l Y depth than said foot flange forming an outward'exte'nsion ofthe portion, of said foot fiangeincluded Within the lmajor" portion ofl 'i the barand extended to underlie the rail.

' In testimonyjwhereof I hereunto affixl my signature.`

Y BANGROFT e, Beanie..

d rihrheing extended to underlit` 

